Kevin Garnett: Summer was "very painful and very dark"

Monday, September 27, 2010 -- Anonymous (not verified)

It's no surprise that Kevin Garnett took the loss to the Lakers in Game 7 of the Finals hard. The Celtics forward addressed reporters at the team's media day this afternoon in Waltham and described how difficult it was to stomach that loss over the summer.

“The summer was painful – very painful and very dark," Garnett said. "Not enough time, like anything, but we’re back here and it’s good to be back. We’re ready to start. It’s good to have Doc (Rivers) back. It’s good to have Ray (Allen) back. It's good to see guys healthy, the new additions to the team -- it's a good time"

Expectations are high for Garnett, who is more than a year removed from right knee surgery. Garnett looked gimpy at times throughout last season, but never spoke much about his condition. Today he revealed that he was never at 100 percent last season.

“I think more mentally than anything last year was hard for me just because I knew I was playing through some difficult times, but I’m not the one to make excuses," Garnett said. "I’m not the one to be out here complaining about stuff.”

The good news for the Celtics is that Garnett said he feels very strong heading into a new season.